Apparatus for tufting mattresses.



w. H. A. WILLIAMS. APPARATUS FOR TUFTING MATTRESSES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 29,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1-.

Q a w M u an M Mu, l m m s s I anvc mboz.

f Vl l/z'a m8 W. H. A. WILLIAMS.

APPARATUS FOR TUFTING MATTRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, I9l8. I 4

Patented Apr. 1, 1919;

3 SHEETS-SHET 2.

W. H. A. WILLIAMS.

APPARATUS FOR TUFTING MATTRESSES.

APPLlCATlQN FILED MAY 29, ms,

Patented Apr. 1, 1919" 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- l I m N SM/UQVHIOZ WILLIAM H. A. WILLIAMS, E BEIIITNETTSVILLE, SOUTH CAEGLXNA.

APPARATUS FOR ULUFTIhl' MATTRESSES.

asse ses.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY AR- NOLD WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bennettsville, in the county of Marlboro and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Tufting Mattresses, ofwl ich the following is a specification, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings.

This invention relates tomattress making machinery, and particularly to means for tufting mattresses.

The general object of 'my invention is the provision of needles may mattress simultaneously, ing the tuftinw cords. ii

A further object is th provision of means whereby the mattress; shay be clamped in be passed through the stufi'ed the needles carryfront of the needles and.wherebylthe needles may be supported while 7 they are being forced into will not bend.

A further object of this character which is very construction and operation, has fewparts,

and which may be readily operated for the purpose intended.

2-2 of Figul;

My invention is, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe device;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line I 3-3 of Fig.2"; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the needle supporting bar.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that one element of my machine is a main frame constructed'of longitudinally extending members 10 and vertical members 11. These longitudinal and vertical members 10 and 11 are connected to each other by trans verse braces 12 and constitute a rectangular or cubical frame, the rear end of'which is" braced by the crossed braces 13. The, lower longitudinal members 10 extend in front of the forward braces 12 to provide a platform 14:. uponwhich a mattress is designed to be supported, the mattress being disposed on Specification of Letters atent.

means whereby a plurality of the mattress, slilthat the needles y is to provide simple in Patented Apr, 1, @919 Application filed May 28, 1918. Serial Ho. raises.

Extending from the forward transverse braces 12 to the platform 1 1 are a plurality of vertically disposed, uniformly spaced rods 15, and hingedly mounted upon edge.

the forward edge of the platform 14 is a then this frame swungupward and engaged by the hooks 17, whereupon the mattress will be clamped upon the rods of the frame 16 and the rods 15. n

Mounted for longitudinal movement within the frame composed of the members 10,

11 and 12 is a needle supporting frame, designated 'generally "19.1" This-is also composed of longitndinal nembers 20, vertical memhers 21 giddy transverse 1 members 22. This frame 1-9 ;is supported upon lower pairs of wheels whicl lfbeai upon-tracks 2 1 attached to the lower-members and also carries the upper pairs ofwheels 25 which operate on tracks supported on the upper members 10. By this means, theframe 19 may be readily shifted lbng itudinally within the main frame. At the front of the frame 19 are disposedthe vertical uniformly spaced slats 26, each carrying a plurality of forwardly pointing needles 27. These needles may be arranged in any desired man ner, butas illustratedthe needles are arranged in pairs, the pairs being disposed in transversely extending series.

Disposed within the frame 19 is a needle guide supporting frame 28 comprising the longitudinally extending slats or beams 29, the vertically extending slats or beams 36, and transverse connecting members 31. The

upper and lower beams or slats 29 are extended beyond the forwardmost vertical members 30 and are designed to-pass through spaces between the barsQh; The

The

frame 16 isv members 20. It will be seen from this that the frame 19 can be pushed along within the main frame and that the frame 28 can ,be shifted independently within the frame 19. The needles are formed to support suitable cords to be passed through the mattress,

In the use of'this invention, the mattress is disposed as before explained, between the mattress clamp and the bars 15. At this time the frame 28 has been shoved fully forward so that the notches 34 are at the extremities of the needles and the frame 19 is pushed forward by means of the handle 38. The cross bars 32 will now engage with the bars 15 and will be held from further forward movement while the needles are forced into and through the mattress'by the continued forwardmovement of the frame 19. The notches 34.- act to support the needles adjacent the face of the mattress so that the needles will not bend or become deflected in passing through; When the needles and the tufting cords have been passed through the mattress the needles are withdrawnby drawing back on the frame 19 tobring the parts to their'original position.

By means of my apparatus, it is possible to pass the tufting cords through the mattress at one time and to pass all of the cords through in the same time that it would take to' pass one cord through the mattress by hand. It will bepbv-ious that many changes may be made in the details of construction of my mechanism without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not wish to be limitedto the exact construction illustrated.

Having described-my invention, what I claim is:

1. A mattress tufting machine comprising a main frame having vertically disposed spaced bars, a mattress clamping frame having spaced bars and hingedly mounted upon the main frame in front of the first named bars, a needle supporting frame mounted within the main frame for shifting movement toward or from said bars and carrying a plurality of forwardly extending needles,

and rearwardly shiftable needle supporting means mounted frame. v

2. A mattress tufting machine comprising a main frame. having vertically disposed spaced ba1's,a mattress clamping frame havon the needle supporting ing spaced bars and. hingedly mounted upon the main frame in front of the first named bars, a needle supporting frame mounted within the main frame for shifting movement toward or from said bars and carrying a plurality of forwardly extending needles, and a needle guiding frame shiftably mount ed within the needle supporting frame and having a plurality of rods formed with notches through which the needles pass.

3. An apparatus ofthe character de.- I scribed comprlsing a mam frame having vertically disposed rods at its forward end, a

mattress clamping frame hingedly connected to the main frame in front of said rods and having vertically disposed rods, a needle carrying frame having wheels engaging the main frame for longitudinal movement relative to the main frame, the needle carrying frame at its forward end being provided '"with a plurality of spaced bars carrying forwardly xtending needles, a needle supporting frame having wheels engaging the needle carrying frame for longitudinal move!'nent relative thereto and having bars exten mg-forward between the bars 'of the needle carrying frame, and a plurality of rods mounted upon said outwardly extend ing bars and having notches with which the needles engage. I

4. A mattress tufting machine comprising a main frame having longitudinal members,

vertical members, transverse braces, a plurality of spaced: vertical rods at its forward end, and a transverse platform in front of said rods, a mattress clampingframe hinged let to said platform and havingaplurality of clamping frame in clamping position, a needle carrying frame disposed within the main frame and having wheels engaging the longitudinal member's of the main frame,

spaced rods, means for holdingithe mattress the forward end of said needle supporting frame having spaced vertical bars and forwardly extending needles attached to said bars, the needle carrying frame having upper and lower longitudinally extendin "members, and a needle supporting frame isposed I within the needle carrying firaLmeand having upper and lower longitudinally extending members and vertical; members, the upper and lower. members extending forward beyond the vertical members and through the spaces between the vertical bars of the needle carrying frame, upp 'e r and'lower pairsof supporting wheels on the needle supporting frame engaging the longitudinal members of the needle carrying frame, transverse bars attached to the forwardly extending bars of the needle supporting frame, and vertical rods attached to said'transvei'se bars and, having notches in which the needles slidingly engage. p

5. A machin of the characterdescribed comprisin ongitudinallymovable carriage havinga plurelity of needles projecting In teetimony whereof I hereunto afiix my from it, a mattress clamp digposed 1n front signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses. of said carriage and nee 1e supporting guides operativelg mounted upon the car- WILLIAMS riage for rearward movement and. having .Witnesses:

notches in which said needles slidingly en- WILLARD STUBBS, gage- M. E. Bos'nc. 

